The island, which was made popular in the Victorian era, is popular with a range of visitors of all ages. The Isle of Wight is situated five miles off the south coast of England; measuring 23 miles east to west and 13 miles north to south.

Isle of Wight Landscape. Compton Chine, looking east towards Blackgang by Barbara Mürdter

It’s a small island, but one where lots of fun can be enjoyed. You may have never thought about visiting because it’s not far away enough to be considered as a holiday destination. If you want to go somewhere different for your next holiday, continue reading to find out where to stay, where to go and what to do if you visit the Isle of Wight.

Where to stay

If you are planning a trip to the island then you can choose from a selection of places to stay – each suit different tastes and budgets. Isle of Wight accommodation includes seaside hotels, farm/rural self-catering B&Bs, holiday centres and caravan parks.

Osborne House, Isle of Wight, England, UK by Naturenet

Where to go

The Isle of Wight has plenty of beaches, so when it’s summer and the sun is out, what better way to spend it then on one of them? Some are small, some are commercialised and others are very secluded. So if you want to spend time lounging on the beach or you prefer doing water sports you’ll find a perfect beach for you. After a day at the beach you can visit one of the many museums, galleries and historic sites that showcase the island’s history and culture.

Wherever you go, it’s good to know there are great shopping opportunities; if you want some retail therapy, you can get it on the Isle Wight. There are arts and crafts outlets too, which sell all manner of things from handcrafted jewellery to wood carvings.

If galleries and shopping aren’t your idea of a holiday or if you want to do something more extreme, you could try tree climbing, paragliding and sailing.

Gate to Carisbrooke Castle, Isle of Wight, England, UK by Dave Pape

What to do

If you are not an adrenaline junkie though, but still wanting to have an experience of a lifetime; in the month of June, thousands of revellers can be found mucking out at the Isle of Wight festival. Acts such as Coldplay, Bryan Adam, The Police and Labrinth have all preformed at the festival. All ages can attend.

If you like festivals but want to hear something other than rock and pop, you can attend the island’s open-air midsummer jazz festival. Here you will find more of an older crowd, but it can be enjoyed by all members of the family.

If festivals and loud music isn’t your thing, then you might enjoy a cycling or walking holiday on the Isle of Wight. Walking and cycling are popular because there are over 500 miles of footpaths and bridleways. With attractive scenery and almost every town on the island hosting a hotel, pub or B&B, walkers and cyclists have plenty of choice of routes throughout the island whilst visiting.

If you love to explore and have an interest in fossils then you go back in time visiting beaches at Shanklin and Brook Bay, as you can find dinosaur remains in the cliffs and on the beaches. Happy hunting!

Brook Bay, Isle of Wight, England, UK by Jim Champion

Are you planning a visit to the Isle of Wight? If so, where are you going to stay and visit?

Author: Stuart enjoys mountain biking on the south coast of England and writes on behalf of Island View Holidays.

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Going away for a week or two can be quite a stretch to your (already overstretched) budget and your priorities may change whilst trying to find something suitable. Whether you are looking for sun, sea and sand or tracking down an action adventure holiday overseas- everyone is out to find the very best when booking their summer break. Whilst budgeting isn’t usually fun, it has to be done, so here is a rough guide to the best ways to budget whilst you are on holiday.

Elche, Palm capital, Spain / Photo by admin

Determine how much you can afford to spend

Before you start to book anything, sit down and work out how much you can afford to spend. Try breaking this down into flights, accommodation and living costs whilst you are there. It may be cheaper to consider a self-catering apartment rather than a hotel if eating out is going to be expensive. However if you are going somewhere like Eastern Asia, dining out is cheap, cheap, cheap, so your budget will probably stretch a bit further than it would in the US or Europe.

Check out the free attractions

Most destinations will have a variety of free museums, galleries and other attractions to keep you amused during the day. Pick up a travel guide from your local book shop- these will usually tell you what is free and the ones that will blow your budget. Some European countries like Amsterdam or Berlin, have one day a week when all of their galleries etc are free, so be sure to check that out before you go. If you are lucky enough to be a student- remember to take your student cards as many museums and public transport are free to students and young people.

Check out last minute deals

If you don’t mind where you go, but just fancy a few days away from it all, there are plenty of cheap holidays available online, as part of last minute packages. Discounted rates are offered on hotels and flights to fill up spaces still left unsold. If you are willing to take a chance on a lesser-known city, or if you are lucky enough to have flexible working hours- leave it to the last minute and take a look online

Consider travelling at a different time of year

If you are looking to catch some rays whilst you are away, consider going a little later in the year when peak season has died down. Many places will still be relatively warm all the way through to October. Holidays in Turkey for example, will enjoy plenty of sunshine if you are willing to hold off for just a few more weeks. If you go during the summer, you will be faced with paying peak prices, for both your flights and your accommodation, so seriously think about where you want to go and if you can wait until later in the year.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Göran (Kartläsarn)

Travelling and Getting Around

There are two international airports located in the vicinity of Hisingen Island. The larger of the two is Landvetter Airport, which offers international flights around the world and is a short thirty minute bus ride into the heart of the island. The second and significantly smaller airport is the Gothenburg City Airport. This airport primarily offers budget flights around Europe but is closer to the city centre than Landvetter. Although cars are certainly permitted in the area, they are far from necessary. Opt to use public transport in the form of buses, trams, trains and ferries for very reasonable prices instead.

Volvo Museum

The car maker Volvo is one of the most important and historically significant companies in all of Sweden. The company has recently opened an exciting museum on Hisingen Island that is a truly must visit destination for car and transport enthusiasts. You can view some of the earliest car models created by Volvo as well as try out simulators designed for learning how to drive the largest vehicles and trucks. Children will love the actual cars that they are allowed to steer and pretend to drive. Admission is 60 SEK for adults and 25 SEK for children. Discounts are available for groups and students attending together.

Ostindiefararen Götheborg

With so many harbours on Hisingen Island, it is clear to even a first time visitor that the region must have a significant maritime history. Perhaps what the area is best known for is the Ostindiefararen Götheborg, a ship built in the eighteenth century but sunk after a series of long voyages to China. Some twenty years ago private citizens built a replica of the ship and resumed the worldwide voyages. Today the eighteenth century replica is located at one of the larger harbours on Hisingen Island. Although the magnificent wooden ship does set sail for regional journeys on certain dates, visitors also have the opportunity to see the ship docked right in Hisingen and even step onboard to tour the vessel.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Karin Jonsson

Ramberget Hill

This landmark on Hisingen Island stands at a height of nearly three hundred feet above sea level and is the tallest spot in all of Gothenburg. The short walk up to Ramberget Hill winds through the beautiful public space of Keiller’s Park. This park is a popular hangout for university students and families who want to relax in the sunshine, enjoy street vendors and local foods or just chat with friends.

Accommodations on Hisingen Island

As a popular travel destination and home to a large university, there is no shortage of accommodation options in the area. Some holiday ideas might include staying in a private apartment in order to save money and get a feel for local life in the area. Of course, there are also some boutique hotels, international hotel chains and even some traditional guesthouses and inns. Those who want a truly luxurious holiday might consider Swedish villas on the island instead.

View A Visitor’s Guide to Hisingen Island, Sweden in a larger map

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Jakab’s Palace, Kosice, Slovakia

There are about 240 thousand, mostly young people, living in the city of Košice. The city is therefore also called the city of youth. It is a home of several universities – Technical University, The University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University that includes faculty of Medicine, Law, Science, and others. This vibrant city is the seat of the Constitutional Court of the Slovak Republic and can well take care of tourists and visitors.

Košice is not only a key economic agglomeration, but also the crossroad of transport routes. The town lies in the Košice basin along the wide valley of Hornád river, which is bounded on the west with foothills of the Slovak Ore Mountains (Slovak: Slovenské rudohorie).

Košice grew up in a crossroads of the trade routes connecting southern Europe with areas of the Baltic. Košice have a very good strategic location, because it lies close to three other states. Only 20 km away from Hungary, about 90 km from Poland, and about 80 km from the Ukraine.

Kosice main street, Slovakia

The city’s history dates back to the 10th century, when it was a part of Hungary. In 1369 the city gained a city emblem, which is the oldest documented city coat of arms in Europe.

Medieval history of the city is closely associated with trade and craft.

The historical center of Košice is the largest urban reserve in the Slovak Republic and is definitely worth visiting. The dominant sight of the city and its most important monument is the Cathedral of St. Elizabeth. It is the easternmost Gothic cathedral in Europe. Cathedral has a double spiral staircase as one of just five in Europe. The adjacent St. Michael Chapel and St. Urban Tower create together with the Cathedral a great complex of national cultural monuments.

St. Elizabeth Cathedral and Urban Tower, Kosice, Slovakia

The historic city centre offers a pleasant pedestrian zone with lots of boutiques, bars and cafes. The main street is lined with Gothic and Baroque churches. A great atmosphere is supplemented with the playing fountain and a carillon. Park around the fountain is a universal place of relaxation for both young and old.

Among other sights of Košice you can find a baroque Town Hall, Andrassy Palace, State Theatre from 1899, The Levoča House (Košice’s oldest, still standing bourgeois building), Bishop’s Palace and the parish house, which now houses the Gallery of Claire Jakoby, which was a representative of Slovak art history.

Kosice main park and State Theatre, Slovakia

Košice’s golden treasure is one of Europe’s largest golden treasures. The total weight of gold in the treasure reaches thirteen kilograms. Its insured value is almost 8 million Euro but in fact has an immeasurable historical value. The East Museum in Košice built for it a special unique vault, and since 1970, visitors can see the treasure in the permanent exhibition. Golden treasure was discovered during digging the foundations of the new house in 1935 in Košice. The money and gold probably hid their owner in 1679.

Under the city centre you can visit the archaeological complex of Lower Gate. Lower gate was originally part of the fortification system. The remains were discovered in 90′s of the last century during the huge reconstruction of the city.

St. Michael Chapel, Kosice, Slovakia

Extremely rich cultural life in Košice represent theatres, clubs, museums and galleries or puppet theatre.

On the outskirts of the city is the international airport where you can also find interesting Museum of Aviation, which was open to the public in 2002. It documents the development of aviation and aviation technology from its beginnings until 1943. There are about 30 historical machines, aircraft engines, navigation and other devices that are used in aircraft. Definitely the most interesting exhibits of the museum are 18 original pieces of military aircraft.

In Katov bastion on the eastern edge of town you will find a zoological and geological exposure.

In Nicholas’s prison you can see jail facilities and torture chamber with the instruments that were made ​​specifically for the witches.

Nicholas prison, Kosice, Slovakia

I also have to mention the traditional Europe’s oldest and second oldest marathon in the world – the International Peace Marathon. Marathon was founded in 1924 and still takes place every year on the first Sunday of October.

The last and probably the biggest attraction is the Technical Museum at the north end of Košice. You will find here absolutely everything in terms of historical metallurgy, engineering, locksmithing, blacksmithing, energy, physics and chemistry.

The city is a birthplace of many celebrities such as Sándor Márai, Martina Hingis, Stefan Margita and Waldemar Matuska. In May of 2011 Košice held the Ice Hockey World Championship.

Levoca House and Slavia Hotel, Kosice, Slovakia

All pictures taken by Claire on March 2nd, 2013 for Europe Explored.

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